Attachable novelty item

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an attachable novelty item for use in connection with a person&#39;s apparel. The attachable novelty item includes an item surface and one or more attachment areas positioned on the item surface having one or more item contact surfaces disposed thereon. The item is removably attachable to a surface of the apparel by contacting an attachment area with the surface of the apparel and/or an apparel contact surface. A kit for such a novelty item is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/491,654, filed Aug. 1, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related generally to novelty items, such astoys, dolls, plush objects and the like and, in particular, to anattachable novelty item for use in connection with a person's apparel,such as a shirt, a collar, a sleeve, a backpack, a bag, etc.

2. Description of the Related Art

Novelty items, such as toys, dolls, stuffed animals, plush objects andthe like, are used, collected and desired by children and adults aroundthe world. For example, many novelty items are manufactured in a widevariety of unique shapes, sizes and forms, thereby allowing collectorsand consumers alike to purchase a large variety and a large quantity ofsimilar, yet unique, novelty items. Many children and adults collectthese novelty items and either display, trade or sell them, providing aunique market of sellers and consumers.

Toys, dolls, novelty items and the like have been developed, which allowone portion of the toy to be attached to another portion of the toy,such as by Velcro® or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,337shows a baby doll with Velcro® in its mouth for attachment to the breastof a mother doll; U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,465 shows a stuffed fish toy withVelcro® in its mouth which attaches to a hook; U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,262discloses an insect toy with a Velcro® mouth for attachment to its prey;and U.S. Pat. No. 6,882,067 teaches a stuffed toy puppy which attachesthrough Velcro® to its mother's teat. However, for each of these items,a two-part toy is provided, with one part of the toy attachable to asecond part of the toy using some attachment means. Accordingly, whilethe toy is attachable and removable to and from itself, it is notintended for attachment to other objects.

Accordingly, these collectible novelty items must be either displayed onthe shelf, placed on a table or otherwise positioned in the owner'spocket, a backpack, knapsack, shirt pocket, bag, etc. Therefore, theowner cannot effectively display the novelty item to others around them,which removes one of the main reasons the owner is collecting the itemsin the first place. In addition, many owners, and in particularchildren, would like to wear or otherwise attach the novelty item to hisor her clothing or apparel, such that other children can see, enjoy andappreciate them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide anattachable novelty item that overcomes the deficiencies of the priorart. It is another object of the present invention to provide anattachable novelty item that can be displayed by the owner to thosearound him or her. It is another object of the present invention toprovide an attachable novelty item that can be used in connection with aperson's apparel. It is a still further object of the present inventionto provide an attachable novelty item that can be attached to a person'sapparel, such as clothing, a shirt, a collar, a sleeve, pants, a skirt,shorts, a bag, a purse, a knapsack, a backpack and a strap.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a novelty item that isuseable in connection with a person's apparel. The attachable noveltyitem includes an item surface and at least one attachment areapositioned on the item surface and having at least one item contactsurface disposed thereon. The item is removably attachable to a surfaceof the apparel by contacting the attachment area with the surface of theapparel and/or an apparel contact surface.

The present invention is also directed to a kit for a novelty item. Thiskit includes a novelty item having an item surface with at least oneattachment area having an item contact surface and positioned on theitem surface. The kit also includes an apparel contact element having anapparel contact surface and attachable to a surface of a person'sapparel. In particular, the item is removably attachable to a surface ofthe apparel by contacting the attachment area with the apparel contactsurface of the apparel contact element.

The present invention, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with the additional objects and advantages thereof,will best be understood from the following description of exemplaryembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a novelty item that is usable inconnection with a person's apparel according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a further schematic view of an embodiment of a novelty itemthat is usable in connection with a person's apparel according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a further schematic view of a novelty item that is usable inconnection with a person's apparel according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a novelty item that is usable inconnection with a person's apparel according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a further embodiment of a novelty item that isusable in connection with a person's apparel according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a novelty item that is usable in connectionwith a person's apparel according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a novelty item according to the presentinvention as attached to a person's apparel, namely a backpack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper”, “lower”,“right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “lateral”,“longitudinal” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention asit is oriented in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understoodthat the invention may assume various alternative variations and stepsequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is alsoto be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated inthe attached drawings, and described in the following specification, aresimply exemplary embodiments of the invention. Hence, specificdimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodimentsdisclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.

The present invention is directed to an attachable novelty item 10 andis illustrated in various embodiments in operative modes in FIGS. 1-7.Referring now to FIG. 1, the attachable novelty item 10 is for use inconnection with a person's apparel 100. The person's apparel 100includes an apparel surface 102. The novelty item 10 of the presentinvention includes an item surface 12 and one or more attachment areas14 positioned on the item surface 12. In addition, the attachment area14 includes one or more item contact surfaces 16 disposed thereon. Inthis manner, the item 10 is removably attachable to the surface 102 ofthe apparel 100 by contacting the attachment area 14, and thereby theitem contact surface 16, with the surface 102 of the apparel 100 and/oran apparel contact surface 18.

In order to allow the item 10 to be removably attached to the apparel100, the item contact surface 16 may include a removably attachablecontacting surface 20 in various forms. For example, the removablyattachable contacting surface 20 may be a plurality of hooks, aplurality of loops, an adhesive, a sticky contacting surface, a stickymaterial, etc. As specifically seen in FIG. 3, the item contact surface16 is a plurality of hooks 22.

In order to achieve better engagement between the item 10 and theapparel 100, the apparel contact surface 18 may also include theremovably attachable contacting surface 20, such as in the form of aplurality of hooks, a plurality of loops, an adhesive, a stickycontacting surface, a sticky material, etc. In the embodiment of FIG. 3,the apparel contact surface 18 is a plurality of loops 24. Accordingly,the plurality of hooks 22 on the item contact surface 16 interengageswith the plurality of loops 24 on the apparel contact surface 18.Therefore, the item 10 is removably attached to the apparel 100 via theapparel contact surface 18.

The apparel contact surface 18 may be affixed to a portion of theperson's apparel 100. For example, as seen in FIG. 2, the apparelcontact surface 18 can be attached to a person's shirt, such as near thebreast portion, on a sleeve, etc. Further, the apparel contact surface18 can be permanently, semi-permanently or removably affixed to aperson's apparel 100, since a user may wish to move the apparel contactsurface 18 to various areas and locations on various pieces of apparel100.

In order to provide appropriate engagement, the item contact surface 16and the apparel contact surface 18 may each include a complimentaryinterengaging structure that allows the item 10 to be removably attachedto the apparel 100 by contacting the item contact surface 16 with theapparel contact surface 18. As discussed above, while the hook-and-loopstructure is shown and illustrated in FIG. 3, any number of removablycontacting surfaces, structures and arrangements are envisioned.

The item 10 may include one or more body portions 26 and one or morehead portions 28. As best seen in FIG. 6, the attachment area 14 may bepositioned on a surface 30 of the head portion 28. In a furtherpreferred and non-limiting embodiment, the head portion 28 includes amouth area 32, and the attachment area 14 is positioned at leastpartially on or within this mouth area 32. Still further, in anotherembodiment, the mouth area 32 may include a first mutually opposingmouth surface 34 and a second mutually opposing mouth surface 36. Inthis case, the attachment area 14 would be positioned partially on aportion of each mouth surface 34, 36. See FIGS. 3 and 6. In addition,and as illustrated in FIG. 5, in order to contact and engage the itemcontact surface 16 with the surface 102 of the apparel 100 and/or theapparel contact surface 18, the first mutually opposing mouth surface 34and the second mutually opposing mouth surface 36 are pushed together,as indicated by arrows A in FIG. 5. In essence, the user pinches orclamps the surface 102 and/or the apparel contact surface 18 between thefirst mutually opposing mouth surface 34 and the second mutuallyopposing mouth surface 36 in the mouth area 32. Such an action resemblesa biting action, thereby allowing the novelty item 10 to bite and engagethe apparel 100. It is also envisioned that each mouth surface 34, 36may include individual attachment areas 14 that are removably engageableto each other. For example, the mouth surface 34 may include the hookstructure, and the mouth surface 36 may include the loop structure, suchthat the mouth can be pressed together and closed. In operation, a usermay place the mouth area 32 around a strap, a belt, etc. and attach themouth surfaces 34, 36 together, which also results in this “biting”action. In this manner, the novelty item 10 would be attached to theapparel 100 by forming a loop with the mouth area 32 and attaching themouth surfaces 34, 36 together. Any manner of attaching the novelty item10 to the apparel 100 is envisioned.

The body portion 26 may include one or more appendages 38 extendingtherefrom, such as in the form of limbs, arms, legs, tails, etc.Similarly, the head portion 28 may also include appendages 38 extendingtherefrom, such as in the form of antennae, horns, ears, nose, hair,etc. Further, the attachment area 14 and item contact surface 16 may beplaced on the body portion 26, the head portion 28, the mouth area 32,the appendages 38 or indeed on any portion or part of the item surface12. In addition, there may be multiple item attachment areas 14 and itemcontact surfaces 16 to provide for a better engagement between theattachable novelty item 10 and the apparel 100.

In another preferred and non-limiting embodiment, the item surface 12 atleast partially surrounds an inner area 40. This inner area 40 is atleast partially filled with a material 42, such as cotton, a packingmaterial, foam, down, batting, cellulose fiber, synthetic material, etc.In this manner, the attachable novelty item 10 becomes a stuffed animal,as is known in the art. Such items 10 are also known as plush toys andthe like.

The novelty item 10 may be in the form of an animal, an insect, aperson, an object, etc. As seen in FIGS. 2-6, the item 10 is often ananimal, insect, or similar object having a head portion 28 and moutharea 32, such that the item 10 can “bite” the person's apparel 100and/or the apparel contact surface 18. However, any representation orobject may be used and manufactured in the form of this novelty item 10.

As discussed above, the apparel contact surface 18 may be removablyattachable to the surface 102 of the apparel. For example, the apparelcontact surface 18 may be in the form of a strip of material, a patch,etc., and the apparel contact surface 18 would be sized and shaped so asto compliment the size and shape of the item contact surface 16 on theitem 10. In addition, the attachment area 14 of the novelty item 10 maybe attached to, removably attached to and/or integrally formed with theitem surface 12. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the present invention is notlimited to clothes as the form of apparel 100. Instead, the apparel 100may be clothing, a shirt, a collar, a sleeve, pants, a skirt, shorts, abag, a purse, a knapsack, a backpack, a strap, etc.

The present invention is also directed to a kit for a novelty item 10.This kit includes the novelty item 10 having the item surface 12 withone or more attachment areas 14 having item contact surfaces 16 andpositioned on the item surface 12. The kit includes an apparel contactelement 44, which is in the form of the apparel contact surface 18discussed above. The apparel contact element 44 is attachable to asurface of a person's apparel 100. As discussed in detail above, theitem 10 is removably attachable to a surface 102 of the apparel 100 bycontacting the attachment area 14 with the apparel contact element 44and with the apparel contact surface 18 that is part of or associatedwith the apparel contact element 44.

In this manner, an attachable novelty item 10 is provided that allowsthe user or owner to display the attachable novelty item to those aroundhim or her. In addition, the present invention provides an attachablenovelty item 10 that can be used in connection with a person's apparel100. For example, the item 10 can be attached to a person's apparel 100,such as clothing, a shirt, a collar, a sleeve, pants, a skirt, shorts, abag, a purse, a knapsack, a backpack, a strap, etc.

This invention has been described with reference to the preferredembodiments. Obvious modifications and alterations will occur to othersupon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It isintended that the invention be construed as including all suchmodifications and alterations.

1. An attachable novelty item for use in connection with a person'sapparel, the novelty item comprising: an item surface; and at least oneattachment area positioned on the item surface and including at leastone item contact surface disposed thereon, wherein the item is removablyattachable to a surface of the apparel by contacting the attachment areawith at least one of the surface of the apparel and an apparel contactsurface.
 2. The item of claim 1, wherein the item contact surfaceincludes at least one of a plurality of hooks, a plurality of loops, anadhesive, a sticky contacting surface, a sticky material and a removablyattachable contacting surface.
 3. The item of claim 1, wherein theapparel contact surface includes at least one of a plurality of hooks, aplurality of loops, an adhesive, a sticky contacting surface, a stickymaterial and a removably attachable contacting surface.
 4. The item ofclaim 1, wherein the apparel contact surface is affixed to at least aportion of the person's apparel.
 5. The item of claim 1, wherein theitem contact surface and the apparel contact surface each include acomplimentary interengaging structure configured to removably attach theitem contact surface to the apparel contact surface.
 6. The item ofclaim 1, wherein the item contact surface includes at least one of aplurality of hooks and a plurality of loops, and the apparel contactsurface includes a complimentary plurality of hooks and a plurality ofloops, wherein the item contact surface is removably attachable to theapparel contact surface.
 7. The item of claim 1, wherein the itemincludes at least one body portion and at least one head portion.
 8. Theitem of claim 7, wherein the attachment area is positioned on a surfaceof the head portion.
 9. The item of claim 8, wherein the head portionincludes a mouth area, the attachment area positioned at least partiallyon the mouth area.
 10. The item of claim 9, wherein the mouth areaincludes a first mutually opposing mouth surface and a second mutuallyopposing mouth surface, the attachment area positioned at leastpartially on at least a portion of each mouth surface.
 11. The item ofclaim 7, wherein the body portion includes at least one appendageextending therefrom.
 12. The item of claim 7, wherein the head portionincludes at least one appendage extending therefrom.
 13. The item ofclaim 1, wherein the item surface at least partially surrounds an innerarea.
 14. The item of claim 13, wherein the inner area is at leastpartially filled with a material.
 15. The item of claim 14, wherein thematerial is at least one of cotton, a packing material, foam, down,batting, cellulose fiber and a synthetic material.
 16. The item of claim1, wherein the novelty item is a representation of at least one of ananimal, an insect, a person and an object.
 17. The item of claim 1,wherein the apparel contact surface is removably attachable to thesurface of the apparel.
 18. The item of claim 1, wherein the apparelcontact surface is in the form of at least one of a strip of materialand a patch.
 19. The item of claim 1, wherein the attachment area is atleast one of attached to, removably attached to and integrally formedwith the surface of the item.
 20. The item of claim 1, wherein theapparel is at least one of a clothing, a shirt, a collar, a sleeve,pants, a skirt, shorts, a bag, a purse, a knapsack, a backpack and astrap.
 21. A kit for a novelty item comprising: a novelty item having anitem surface with at least one attachment area having an item contactsurface and positioned on the item surface; and an apparel contactelement having an apparel contact surface and attachable to a surface ofa person's apparel; wherein the item is removably attachable to asurface of the apparel by contacting the attachment area with theapparel contact surface of the apparel contact element.